FSU works on creating post-halftime intensity in practices

7:42 p.m. EST, October 11, 2012|By Coley Harvey, Orlando Sentinel

TALLAHASSEE — Florida State fans have had their share of concerns this week. Chief among them have been worries about the Seminoles’ second-half offense, and its apparent lack of intensity in the minutes immediately following halftime.

Coach Jimbo Fisher and his staff have heard them. On Thursday, they worked to make fixes that they hope will prove the 12th-ranked Seminoles can be considered a first- and second-half team.

“During the season, there’s always something that occurs that you have to deal with,” Fisher said about making the corrections.

In each of the last two games, the Seminoles (5-1, 2-1 ACC) have had the ball to start the second half. Both drives have ended in punts. Against North Carolina State last Saturday, a score on the first drive after halftime might have given the Seminoles just enough breathing room to hold on and beat the Wolfpack.

Scoreless in the second half, however, they couldn’t. NC State vanquished a 16-0 FSU lead and earned a 17-16 comeback victory.

The Seminoles have scored 157 first-half points compared to 114 in the second half this season. Those figures include the weather-shortened third quarter against Savannah State.

“You just take those kinds of situations and try to simulate them as many possible ways in a practice or a game,” Fisher said with respect to fixing the scoring problem.

On Thursday, that meant taking periodic breaks and forcing the players to step up their intensity on the next play.

“You come back out the first play with intensity and you make them — bang. Here’s the intensity. Bang. There’s the intensity,” Fisher said.

---In Thursday’s Boston Globe, members of Boston College’s defense were quoted as saying FSU players earned little, didn’t understand toughness and wouldn’t be ready for the Eagles’ (1-4, 0-2) “blue collar” style of play when the teams meet Saturday.

Fisher said he was unfamiliar with the chatter, but did respond to a question about his team’s character this way: “We’ll find out Saturday at 5:30.”